The present invention concerns generally large tool chests of the type used by professional mechanics.
In use are large tool chests which when provided with a full complement of tools may weigh two hundred pounds or more. When a mechanic's job entails the making of repairs at a remote job site, as for example, in the repair of farm equipment and large trucks, the mechanic must load his tool chest into a vehicle for travel to the job site. As tool chests, even the larger ones, provide no lift or attachment points for a cable the tool chest must be loaded into the vehicle by several men or perhaps a lift truck and at the end of the trip the operation reversed to return the tool chest to the mechanic's work station. In addition to the time and effort expended in accomplishing this task, there is a degree of risk to the workers and damage to the tool chest.
A complication in the lifting of a heavy tool chest is that the chest should be lifted in the horizontal to prevent shifting of tools and parts in the chest to avoid having to reorganize the tool chest after each repositioning or lifting.
A further problem encountered is that tool chests have hingedly mounted lids and series of drawers, the opening and closing of which must not be impeded during the job at hand. Further, the overall size of the tool chest should not be increased.
In the prior art are devices for attachment to a load with provision for positioning an eye for reception of a lifting cable to prevent tilting of a load. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,148,679; 3,549,190; 3,596,969 and 4,597,602, none of which are believed suitable for use with a tool chest.